【タイトル胡蝶蘭 YEAR
ROUND CARE】■In
nature, your Phalaenopsis is typically fond of warm temperatures
(20 to 35 °C), but is adaptable to conditions more comfortable for
human habitation in temperate zones (15 to 30 °C); at temperatures
below 18 °C watering should be reduced to avoid the risk of root
rot. Phalaenopsis requires high humidity (60-70%) and low light.

■Phalaenopsis
prefer to be potted in fir bark, which is more free-draining,
but sphagnum moss will also work. Keep your flower in a pot with
a lot of drainage. One of the most numerous blunders that new
growers make is to rot the roots. Overwatering and poor drainage
cause the roots to deterioriate, therefore killing the plant.
Be careful to water when you feel the soil is dry through and
through is the safest thing to do.
Light is quite vital to the well-being of the phalaenopsis orchid.
Keep it in indirect light near a southern window. Be sure the
sun does not directly reach the leaves, which will cause burning
and ugly brown marks. If the leaf feels hot to the touch, move
it away immediately! On the other hand, phalaenopsis grown in
poor dark areas tend to grow floppy dark green leaves and rarely
flower.■Phalaenopsis
roots are quite thick, and the green point at the ends signifies
that the root is actively growing. It is okay for them to climb
out of the pots. Keep the plant fertilized with a 1/4 diluted
strength balanced fertilizer three times out of four waterings.■The
flower spikes appear from the pockets near the base of each leaf.
The first sign is a light green "mitten-like" object
that protrudes from the leaf tissue. In about three months, the
spike enlongates until it begins to swell fat buds. The buds will
thus bloom. Usually you can tell what color the phalaenopsis is
by looking at the bud color. After the flowers fade, some people
prefer to cut the spike above the highest node (section). This
may produce another flower spike or more rarely a keiki (a baby
orchid plant that can be planted).